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12 Apr 2013, 20:24

1

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ranjeet75 wrote:

Why is D wrong? Please clarify.

This is an OG question from OG 13th Ed. GMAC's explanation on option D is:"Since this event clearly happened in the past, the tense of the verb are is wrong. Piling on too many descriptive words for the noun exploits [the pioneer journalist Nellie Bly's exploits] makes the phrase unwieldy and awkward."

Also, I found that "included" refers to "pioneer" saying "included in the pioneer". Though the intention is to say "included in the exploits", it didn't happen so because of placing many descriptive words between "included in the" and "exploits".

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02 Aug 2012, 07:25

daagh wrote:

A. A pioneer journalist, Nellie Bly's exploits included –Dangling modifier B. The exploits of, a pioneer journalist, included: Correct format a pioneer journalist modifies Nellie BlyC Nellie Bly was a pioneer journalist, included---- a run -on D Included in the pioneer journalist Nellie Bly's exploits are: Inverted clause SV mismatch E The pioneer journalist's exploits of Nellie Bly included----- journalist's exploits of Nellie- a clumsy redundancy and may even imply as if the pioneer journalist and Nellie were two different entities

the original poster has some typos in option C. The correct option is :-

C. Nellie Bly was a pioneer journalist including in her exploits the

@ daagh - pls. provide some insight why option C is wrong as i have marked it as my answer

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Nellie Bly was a pioneer journalist including in her exploits the circling the globe faster than Jules Verne's fictional Phileas Fogg.

We have a verb-ing modifier “including” here that is modifying the previous noun entity “a pioneer journalist”. Nellie Bly is this pioneer journalist. So “including” is basically modifying Nellie Bly.

Now this modifier does not make sense with the subject “Nellie Bly” here because per this choice, the sentence seems to means that Nellie Bly was a journalist and because of being a journalist she included in her exploits the circling. This is not the intended meaning. It is Bly’s exploits that included the circling. So that should

Also this sentence is not very grammatical. This phrase “the circling the globe” is not grammatical. These are the reasons for this sentence to be incorrect.

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Nellie Bly was a pioneer journalist including in her exploits the circling the globe faster than Jules Verne's fictional Phileas Fogg.

We have a verb-ing modifier “including” here that is modifying the previous noun entity “a pioneer journalist”. Nellie Bly is this pioneer journalist. So “including” is basically modifying Nellie Bly.

Now this modifier does not make sense with the subject “Nellie Bly” here because per this choice, the sentence seems to means that Nellie Bly was a journalist and because of being a journalist she included in her exploits the circling. This is not the intended meaning. It is Bly’s exploits that included the circling. So that should

Also this sentence is not very grammatical. This phrase “the circling the globe” is not grammatical. These are the reasons for this sentence to be incorrect.

Hope this helps.Thanks.Shraddha

Shraddha,

Thanks much for the explanation. Can you please also clarify if C is a run-on sentence and if yes, how ?
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Nellie Bly was a pioneer journalist including in her exploits the circling the globe faster than Jules Verne's fictional Phileas Fogg.

We have a verb-ing modifier “including” here that is modifying the previous noun entity “a pioneer journalist”. Nellie Bly is this pioneer journalist. So “including” is basically modifying Nellie Bly.

Now this modifier does not make sense with the subject “Nellie Bly” here because per this choice, the sentence seems to means that Nellie Bly was a journalist and because of being a journalist she included in her exploits the circling. This is not the intended meaning. It is Bly’s exploits that included the circling. So that should

Also this sentence is not very grammatical. This phrase “the circling the globe” is not grammatical. These are the reasons for this sentence to be incorrect.

Hope this helps.Thanks.Shraddha

Hi ShraddhaThere is a serious bug in my SC understanding and i wish to kill it once and for all.This bug has again resurfaced in this OG13 question. I would really appreciate if u could help me resolve this problem. So here it is-

A A pioneer journalist, Nellie Bly's exploits includedB The exploits of Nellie Bly, a pioneer journalist, includedC Nellie Bly was a pioneer journalist, includedD Included in the pioneer journalist Nellie Bly's exploits areE The pioneer journalist's exploits of Nellie Bly included

B The exploits of Nellie Bly, a pioneer journalist, includedI marked this answer wrong since i had wrongly interpreted that The exploits of Nellie Bly is a noun modifier, which is incorrectly modifying a pioneer journalist, the noun next to the modifier. I repeatedly do such kinds of mistakes in modifiers. Can you suggest how i can unlearn such misconceptions.Thanks

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You're correct, "a pioneer journalist" is APPOSITIVE PHRASE that is short phrase, and is used to modify another noun preceding it.
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Nellie Bly was a pioneer journalist including in her exploits the circling the globe faster than Jules Verne's fictional Phileas Fogg.

We have a verb-ing modifier “including” here that is modifying the previous noun entity “a pioneer journalist”. Nellie Bly is this pioneer journalist. So “including” is basically modifying Nellie Bly.

Now this modifier does not make sense with the subject “Nellie Bly” here because per this choice, the sentence seems to means that Nellie Bly was a journalist and because of being a journalist she included in her exploits the circling. This is not the intended meaning. It is Bly’s exploits that included the circling. So that should

Also this sentence is not very grammatical. This phrase “the circling the globe” is not grammatical. These are the reasons for this sentence to be incorrect.

Show Tags

Nellie Bly was a pioneer journalist including in her exploits the circling the globe faster than Jules Verne's fictional Phileas Fogg.

We have a verb-ing modifier “including” here that is modifying the previous noun entity “a pioneer journalist”. Nellie Bly is this pioneer journalist. So “including” is basically modifying Nellie Bly.

Now this modifier does not make sense with the subject “Nellie Bly” here because per this choice, the sentence seems to means that Nellie Bly was a journalist and because of being a journalist she included in her exploits the circling. This is not the intended meaning. It is Bly’s exploits that included the circling. So that should

Also this sentence is not very grammatical. This phrase “the circling the globe” is not grammatical. These are the reasons for this sentence to be incorrect.

Hope this helps.Thanks.Shraddha

Hi ShraddhaThere is a serious bug in my SC understanding and i wish to kill it once and for all.This bug has again resurfaced in this OG13 question. I would really appreciate if u could help me resolve this problem. So here it is-

A A pioneer journalist, Nellie Bly's exploits includedB The exploits of Nellie Bly, a pioneer journalist, includedC Nellie Bly was a pioneer journalist, includedD Included in the pioneer journalist Nellie Bly's exploits areE The pioneer journalist's exploits of Nellie Bly included

B The exploits of Nellie Bly, a pioneer journalist, includedI marked this answer wrong since i had wrongly interpreted that The exploits of Nellie Bly is a noun modifier, which is incorrectly modifying a pioneer journalist, the noun next to the modifier. I repeatedly do such kinds of mistakes in modifiers. Can you suggest how i can unlearn such misconceptions.Thanks

I am not sure if you were able to kill the bug but still let me try to attempt this in 2 ways:1) Meaning :If The exploits of Nellie Bly is a noun modifier , modifying a pioneer journalist then a pioneer journalist is main subject . So is it the a pioneer journalist included circling or The exploits ? It is the exploits of NB included circling the globe faster than Jules Verne's fictional Phileas Fogg.2) Grammar and Punctuation :I feel there is difference between a. The exploits of Nellie Bly, a pioneer journalist, included andb. The exploits of Nellie Bly, a pioneer journalist includedIn B The exploits of Nellie Bly could mean what you interpreted .But a pioneer journalist has comma before and after implying that it is a modifier and not main subject.

Please correct me if I am wrong.
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18 Apr 2014, 11:14

Can someone explain the meaning of this sentence with choice B? I feel like there is some ambiguity here. I understand it as follows - is it wrong?

- Nellie Bly did a lot of things and one of the things was the fact that she circle the globe faster than "Jules Verne's fictional Phileas fogg". The part in the apostrophes is a little confusing because I take that as a possessive something?

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A A pioneer journalist, Nellie Bly's exploits included --> first sentence modifies exploitsB The exploits of Nellie Bly, a pioneer journalist, included --> CORRECT a pioneer journalist modifies Preceding NOUN Nellie Bly - don't mix it up with the NOUN + NOUN ModifierC Nellie Bly was a pioneer journalist, included --> included modifies journalist (should modify exploits)D Included in the pioneer journalist Nellie Bly's exploits are --> what is included in the pioneer journalis - nothing...E The pioneer journalist's exploits of Nellie Bly included --> pioneer jouralist's exploits included...where is the connection to Nellie Bly....

Here are some exceptions to the TOUCH RULE for noun modifiers:

1. A “mission-critical” modifier falls between. This modifier is often an Of-phrase that defines the noun. The less important modifier refers to the noun plus the first modifier.

- He had a way OF DODGING OPPONENTS that impressed the scoutsdodging opponents defines the noun way; that impressed the scouts modifies the entirenoun phrase a way of dodging opponents

2. A very short predicate falls between, shifting a very long modifier back.- Right: A new CEO has been hired who will transform the company bv decentralizing authority to various division heads while increasing their accountability through the use of public scorecards.

3. A short non-essential phrase intervenes and is set off by commas.- Right: Our system of Presidential elections favors states, such as Delaware, that by population are over-represented in the Electoral College ( That modifies -> States)

4. The modifier is part of a series of parallel modifiers, one of which touches the noun

- In heraldry, the term "tincture" refers to a color emblazoned on a coat of arms and labeled with a special French word. (here, 2 Modifiers are placed fort he noun Color , it’s ok)

5. Normally a relative clause should touch the noun that it modifies, but we are generally allowed to place an appositive between a relative clause and the modified noun.

- Mary buys cookies made with SugarFree, an artificial sweetener, which tastes as sweet as the corn syrup that her brother loves but where there are fewer calories than in an equivalent amount of corn syrup.

APPOSITIVE PHRASEAn appositive is a re-naming or amplification of a word that immediately precedes it.

My favorite teacher, a fine chess player in her own right, has won several state-level tournaments. [Noun phrase as appositive] The best exercise, walking briskly, is also the least expensive. [Gerund phrase as appositive] Tashonda's goal in life, to become an occupational therapist, is within her grasp this year, at last. [Infinitive phrase as appositive]

ABSOLUTE PHRASE

Usually (but not always, as we shall see), an absolute phrase (also called a nominative absolute) is a group of words consisting of a NOUN or PRONOUN and a PARTICIPLE as well as any related MODIFIER. Absolute phrases do not directly connect to or modify any specific word in the rest of the sentence; instead, they modify the entire sentence, adding information. Notice that absolute phrases contain a subject (which is often modified by a participle), but not a true finite verb.

Their reputation as winners secured by victory, the New York Liberty charged into the semifinals. The season nearly finished, Rebecca Lobo and Sophie Witherspoon emerged as true leaders. The two superstars signed autographs into the night, their faces beaming happily.
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